Scott Frederick, age 9, of Fargo, N.D., for his question:
ARE THERE MANY KINDS OF OWLS?
Owls are birds of prey that can be found in all parts of the world. There are three families: the bay owls that have two species, the barn owls that have nine species and the typical owls with about 125 species.
An owl has powerful claws called talons that are needlelike. It uses these talons to clamp on its prey in a trap like fashion. The talons have one powerful toe that an owl can change from a forward to a backward position.
Owls come in many colors and sizes. They range from a pygmy species that is only five inches in length to larger varieties that can measure up to 27 inches long.
Most species of owls have large eyes that allow the birds to see very clearly during the evening and night hours. While they can't see in total darkness, they nevertheless can see easily on nights that people would call completely dark.
The owl also has better hearing than any of the other birds. Its two ears, which are hidden in the bird's head feathers, may be of different shapes. What people often call the ears are actually only tufts of feathers.
Tufts of curved feathers also make up an interesting ruff that surround the owl's hooked bill.
Soft, furry edges appear on the flight feathers of an owl's wings. This feature allows the bird to make an almost noiseless flight since it is the hard, straight edge on a bird's flight feathers that make a whistling or fluttering noise with each movement of a wing.
Owls prefer to hunt just at dusk or dawn or on moonlit nights. They can hear mice moving on the ground many feet away. As the bird sits on a high branch listening for sounds from mice, squirrels, reptiles or frogs, it spreads out the feathers and skin that cover its ears. This forms a large funnel that collects even the faintest sounds.
After the owl locates its prey by sound, it attacks swiftly and directly on its great noiseless wings and captures the creature with its sharp talons. The owl is better at catching mice than any man made mouse trap.
Most owls swallow the small animals they capture. Later on they spit out small pellets that are formed from the fur, feather or bones that cannot be digested.
Owls build nests in tree hollows or deserted woodpecker's nests. Some owls build in belfries or barns. From one to 11 white eggs are laid by the female.
Best known of the North American owls are the screech owls, the snowy owls, the great horned owls, the barn owls and the barred owls.
Only four of the owls in North America can properly be called the "hoot" owls. They are the great horned, the great gray, the barred and the long eared. These owls have many different "whoos" and "hoots."
Compared with other birds, owls are neither smart nor dumb. The story that is often told about the "wise old owl" cannot be proven with tests.